Gov't denies PSI on oil palm is in danger

Government on Thursday denied that the President's Special Initiative (PSI) on Oil Palm was in danger, a statement signed by Mr. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs said.

The October 30 to November 5, 2002 edition of the Free Press newspaper headlined the "President's Special Initiative on Oil Palm in Danger as Scientist Goof Research."

The statement said the story gave the erroneous impression that the hybrid variety of Oil Palm meant for the PSI has wrongly been cross-bred by the Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), while the Minister for

Food and Agriculture ignored the problem though it was brought to his attention. It said government is aware of efforts made by researchers at the CSIR and Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) to create improved varieties such as the one in question, which constitute about 70 percent of the stock of oil palm under cultivation in the country.

"Indeed, the variety developed by CSIR-OPRI is rated one of the best in the world and has recorded five fold increase in fresh fruit bunch yields with oils of 3.754.25 tons per hectare from the production of improved planting material," it added.

The statement acknowledged the untiring efforts made by Ghanaian researchers in oil palm, which have proved beneficial in countries such as Zambia, Tanzania, Cuba and Costa Rica adding research work and their outcomes are critical to the development of the country.

It however cautioned unscrupulous individuals, who collect geminated seeds from Farms planted with the improved hybrid variety, nurse them and sell them as improved oil palm variety developed by CSIR-OPRI to unsuspecting farmers to stop. "Such seeds do not have the same traits or attributes as those released by the CSIR-OPRI and may not even produce any fruits," and advised farmers who wish to obtain genuine seedlings to purchase them from the CSIR-OPRI.